BLOGGING!!

"We ALL have a story to tell, we ALL have something to teach"- Tweet from @wfryer re @dwarlick (2/7/12)

Lumen Christ is using 'Google Apps' to manage our blogging adventure for students in 6th - 8th!
1. What is Blogging? Watch this cool video from the 'Common Craft Guys' : http://www.commoncraft.com/video/blogs

Blogs in Plain English

2. What is Google Apps? http://www.google.com/apps/intl/en/edu/k12.html

Google Apps is a service from Google providing independently customizable versions of several Google products under a custom domain name. It features several Web applicationswith similar functionality to traditional office suites, including Gmail, Google Groups, Google Calendar, Talk, Docs and Sites. It was the vision of Rajen Seth, a Google employee who later developed Chromebooks.[1]
Google Apps is free and offers the same amount of storage as regular Gmail accounts.[2]Google Apps for Business, which offers additional e-mail storage, is available for an annual fee per user account. Google Apps for Education, which is free, combines features from the Standard and Premier editions.
In addition to shared apps (calendar, docs, etc.), there is Google Apps Marketplace, which is an App "store" for Google Apps users. It contains various apps, both free and for a fee, which can be installed to customize the Google Apps experience for the user.[3]
from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Apps
More Info: http://www.google.com/apps/intl/en/edu/sell.html

3. How do we login? Our LC Google App address is: https://www.google.com/a/lumenchristiparish.org/

Step1: Enter your username and password: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Step 2: This is what your screen will (should) look like. Notice that your 'login' is in the upper right-hand corner: Look for:
Step 3: You may need to enter your password AGAIN:
Step 4: Go to 'Google.com' Notice AGAIN that your login info is in the upper right-hand corner Click on 'More' Click on 'Even More'
Step 5: Click on Blogger
Step 6: You are going to 'TITLE' your blog: Use the following pattern (it may be taken so we may have to have a second or third option - NO FIRST AND LAST NAMES EVER!!!!): 3 initials + grad year + blogs!
Step 7: Click on 'New Blog'
Step 8: This is the FUN Part: 1. Give your Blog a title (must be approved by a certified educator). You CAN include spaces and characters (!) ie: RAB Blogs! 2. Use the same info from your title to create your Blog address or Blog URL: You MAY NOT use spaces, capital letters or characters! ie: rab14blogs This is your URL@blogspot.com 3. Choose a 'template' or design for your Blog - this CAN be changed later 4. Click on CREATE BLOG!
Step 9: Click on Create New Post
Step 10: Enter a Title Enter some Test Publish your first Post!
Step 11: Mini-Anatomy of your Blog: Click on View Blog
Step 12: How your Blog looks Notice the URL (web address) this is what you can use to show people or to login